What do you think?
Rate this book
In a French Kitchen: Tales and Traditions of Everyday Home Cooking in France
A delightful celebration of everyday life in France through the lens of the kitchens and cooking of the author’s neighbors, who, while busy and accomplished, still manage to make every meal a sumptuous occasion.
Even before Susan Herrmann Loomis wrote her now-classic memoir, On Rue Tatin , American readers have been compelled by books about the French’s ease with cooking. With In a French Kitchen , Loomis—an expat who long ago traded her American grocery store for a bustling French farmer’s market—demystifies in lively prose the seemingly effortless je ne sais quoi behind a simple French meal. French cooks have the savoir faire to get out of a low-ingredient bind. They are deeply knowledgeable about seasonal produce and what mélange of simple ingredients will bring out the best of their garden or local market. They are perfectly at ease with cracked bowls and little counter space.
In a French Kitchen proves that delicious, decadent meals aren’t complicated. Loomis takes lessons from busy, everyday people and offers tricks and recipes to create a meal more focused on quality ingredients and time at the table than on time in the kitchen.
Even before Susan Herrmann Loomis wrote her now-classic memoir, On Rue Tatin , American readers have been compelled by books about the French’s ease with cooking. With In a French Kitchen , Loomis—an expat who long ago traded her American grocery store for a bustling French farmer’s market—demystifies in lively prose the seemingly effortless je ne sais quoi behind a simple French meal. French cooks have the savoir faire to get out of a low-ingredient bind. They are deeply knowledgeable about seasonal produce and what mélange of simple ingredients will bring out the best of their garden or local market. They are perfectly at ease with cracked bowls and little counter space.
In a French Kitchen proves that delicious, decadent meals aren’t complicated. Loomis takes lessons from busy, everyday people and offers tricks and recipes to create a meal more focused on quality ingredients and time at the table than on time in the kitchen.
336 pages, Paperback
First published May 5, 2015
169 people are currently reading
2106 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 105 reviews
March 1, 2016
My problem with all of her work is that French culture and cuisine is idolized, in order to present it to North Americans who are then blown away by the difference from their own culture, the delights of French markets, French patisseries, French cooking. The everyday side of life in such a town never really comes across. In addition, she continues a trend in her later books to write her ex husband completely out of the narrative - yet as her second book reveals, he built the kitchen in which all these delicious dishes were cooked, restored most of the ancient house as well, and did not get or did not want the house in the divorce settlement! A fairly important omission since she did not create this lifestyle on her own at all.
I know the audience and the coffeetable writing style with recipies - but as a French speaker and a long term resident in France and the US at different times (and the former french colonies of West Africa, about which she makes a couple of unfortunate remarks in this book), it grates as self-centered and shallow. Sorry guys.
I know the audience and the coffeetable writing style with recipies - but as a French speaker and a long term resident in France and the US at different times (and the former french colonies of West Africa, about which she makes a couple of unfortunate remarks in this book), it grates as self-centered and shallow. Sorry guys.
March 17, 2016
An interesting topic, but I just could not get into the author's writing style at all. This is a combination memoir of an American living in France for 20 years and a French cookbook, interspersed with descriptions, tips, and hints from the author and her French friends. The recipes look great, but breathless declarations of things that all French cooks do (except the men! Oooh la la, the men, they never cook!), and the (generally bad) things that all American cooks do get old pretty quickly. Also not a fan of the women's magazine trope of the beautiful and successful professional woman who comes home every night, cooks a healthy meal for the children, and then hosts a delicious and relaxed dinner party for her friends and neighbors. Sure, maybe this happens occasionally, but I don't think any amount of organization, small markets, or fresh produce could make things really as effortlessly fabulous as Loomis claims her French friends are. Written in the casual style of an email, this book seems to be coasting on the success of Lommis's other living in France / food based memoirs. I read an uncorrected proof, so let's hope that considerable editing went into the final version.
July 27, 2015
In a French Kitchen recounts the experiences of two decades of learning and loving French cooking through friendships in a memoir with recipes. First thing I taste-tested was the Pot au Feu, a succulent, flavorful, classic braised beef dish, cooked the way your French grandmother would have cooked it, had you had a French grandmother. Oh my! Oh yes! It was fork tender and perfect. I just followed directions and it was as good as the world-class Pot au Feu at Paris's famous restaurant named for this dish.
But Loomis provides more than just the recipes gleaned from her friends. This is a wonderful memoir about the importance of friendships and the meaning of food in France. As an inveterate Francophile with a passport to prove it, I have always loved eating in France--the attention to taste and presentation, the conversation that brightens the meal, the glass of wine that pairs well with each course, the unhurried approach to the table. Loomis has somehow managed to capture this in her charming book. Read it for the recipes or read it for the experience. It is a pleasure.
But Loomis provides more than just the recipes gleaned from her friends. This is a wonderful memoir about the importance of friendships and the meaning of food in France. As an inveterate Francophile with a passport to prove it, I have always loved eating in France--the attention to taste and presentation, the conversation that brightens the meal, the glass of wine that pairs well with each course, the unhurried approach to the table. Loomis has somehow managed to capture this in her charming book. Read it for the recipes or read it for the experience. It is a pleasure.
February 1, 2016
Susan Herrmann Loomis's take on French cooking and eating.
I am so terribly mixed on this book. It is well written, parts of it are quite beautiful and make you want to eat what she is describing right now, and the recipes and some of the cooking tips are quite useful and interesting. Some of the sections though went on a bit long, especially the ones about salad and cheese. It's hard to write about specific types of food, such as cheeses many of the people who are reading your book have never experienced, and not have the readers eyes glaze over now and then. You really can't describe a unique cheese in just words.
There were a few problems with this book that made it hard for me to get through. There is a fine line between respecting a culture and fetisizhing that culture and this book leaps and bounds right over that line and never looks back. At no point in this book did I feel like I was meeting real people, or seeing a real village or town, or even seen the real France, instead I felt like I was seeing this country through the authors rose colored glasses, the France she wants there to be, or perhaps the France she needs to present to prove how much she loves it. I don't know, all I know is it didn't feel genuine and it made it very hard to connect to her stories.
There was also a not so subtle hint of classicism/snob-ism running through out the book and a very brief but cringe inducing passage about the Senagalese and the banania product, no harm was meant I am sure but it's tone deafness was to me, well, cringe inducing.
There is a lot of love in this book and a lot of knowledge as well as some beautiful use of the language just not a lot of depth.
I am so terribly mixed on this book. It is well written, parts of it are quite beautiful and make you want to eat what she is describing right now, and the recipes and some of the cooking tips are quite useful and interesting. Some of the sections though went on a bit long, especially the ones about salad and cheese. It's hard to write about specific types of food, such as cheeses many of the people who are reading your book have never experienced, and not have the readers eyes glaze over now and then. You really can't describe a unique cheese in just words.
There were a few problems with this book that made it hard for me to get through. There is a fine line between respecting a culture and fetisizhing that culture and this book leaps and bounds right over that line and never looks back. At no point in this book did I feel like I was meeting real people, or seeing a real village or town, or even seen the real France, instead I felt like I was seeing this country through the authors rose colored glasses, the France she wants there to be, or perhaps the France she needs to present to prove how much she loves it. I don't know, all I know is it didn't feel genuine and it made it very hard to connect to her stories.
There was also a not so subtle hint of classicism/snob-ism running through out the book and a very brief but cringe inducing passage about the Senagalese and the banania product, no harm was meant I am sure but it's tone deafness was to me, well, cringe inducing.
There is a lot of love in this book and a lot of knowledge as well as some beautiful use of the language just not a lot of depth.
July 16, 2015
This was just an enjoyable read! The only bad part was that it made me incredibly hungry and at one point I actually put the book down, went to the grocery store for a bag of fresh lemons, and came home and made Madame Korn's Quick Lemon Cake. I am normally not a baker but holy hell that cake was delicious.
May 5, 2016
Nice collection of recipes; I dog-eared several of them to try. Also gave an interesting description of government standards and classifications for baguettes (who knew?). But there are a lot of annoying stereotypes, i.e. "the French way is the best way," and some unnecessary jabs at Americans.
December 31, 2017
You’ll want a cup of coffee and a baguette beside you as you read this book! Love the stories and the recipes will be tried many times in 2018!
May 31, 2015
If you love books and films set in France and spend as much time soaking up the sensual background details in each and every scene on the page or frame, you are sure to be delighted by Susan Herrmann Loomis' revealing new cooking memoir, In a French Kitchen: Tales and Traditions of Everyday Home Cooking in France.
To my delight, I discovered at the outset of the book I must actually be French: First, I love food. (Chapter 1: Loving Food begins, "The French love of food is primordial.") Second, I owe the vast majority of my kitchen and cooking knowledge to my grandmother. (Chapter 2: It All begins With Mamie.) [Never mind that my family tree stretches back to England and Germany and that I was raised in the tradition of Midwestern farmhouse cooking; I am now considering it a high probability that my ancestors somehow stumbled into these areas from regions of France!]
Despite Julia Child's best efforts, I believe that most American cooks still see French cooking as the most complex/difficult form of food/technique to master. Loomis' book is a reassurance that any one of us, with whatever we have on hand at this very moment for equipment, can likely whip up a meal on par with what is being served in a typical French home on any given day. If I was skeptical that any book could answer the question as to how the French cook can put "a multicourse meal on the table at least once every day, and usually more often than that, and still manage to look great, act normal, and do everything else that needs to be done, from working to raising kids, to taking care of the dog," all I needed was the reminder that they are just like me, simply being intentional and mindful about everything to do with food.
Loomis describes most of the French home kitchens as being on the small side. That means that the cooks are organized. They know what utensils and equipment they need and they know where each item is kept. I so appreciated her chapter on this and have been inspired to get my own kitchen in better order. (Goodwill is going to be getting some great items I rarely or never use!)
The rest of the book is devoted to chapters on courses typical to French meals: salad, cheese, dessert. She includes a chapter on bread (it's French cooking after all, who wouldn't include baguettes and croissants?) as well as using leftovers (the French are not wasteful). If you love breakfast, rest assured that the French do as well. (It's the basis for Chapter 8.) In Chapter 10 readers get the inside scoop on indispensable techniques used in every French kitchen. I was so inspired, I made my own mayonnaise!
The recipes included in the book come with delightful introductions and plenty of detailed instruction to walk you through to a successful completion of the dish. As with any new recipe, simply be sure to read it through once or twice before embarking on the actual preparation. At the end of the book Loomis offers ways to put together varies recipes from throughout the book into complete, successful French meals. Voila! C'est fini! Vous l'avait fait! (Voila! It's finished! You did it!)
If you are interested in all things French, in cooking, or in learning new ideas, techniques and recipes, you are definitely going to want a copy of In a French Kitchen!
I would like to thank Gotham Books for the Advanced Reader Copy of book I received in exchange for this review.
From the Publisher . . .
A delightful celebration of French life and the cooks who turn even the simplest meals into an occasion
Even before Susan Herrmann Loomis wrote her now-classic memoir, On Rue Tatin, American readers have been compelled by books about the French’s ease with cooking. With In a French Kitchen, Loomis—an expat who long ago traded her American grocery store for a bustling French farmer’s market—demystifies in lively prose the seemingly effortless je ne sais quoi behind a simple French meal.
One by one, readers are invited to meet the busy people of Louviers and surrounding villages and towns of Loomis’s adopted home, from runway-chic Edith, who has zero passion for cooking—but a love of food that inspires her to whip up an array of mouthwatering dishes—to Nathalie, who becomes misty-eyed as she talks about her mother’s Breton cooking, then goes on to reproduce it. Through friends and neighbors like these, Loomis learns that delicious, even decadent meals don’t have to be complicated.
Are French cooks better organized when planning and shopping? Do they have a greater ability to improvise with whatever they have on hand when unexpected guests arrive? The answer to both is: Yes. But they also have an innate understanding of food and cooking, are instinctively knowledgeable about seasonal produce, and understand what combination of simple ingredients will bring out the best of their gardens or local markets.
Thankfully for American readers, In a French Kitchen shares the everyday French tips, secrets, and eighty-five recipes that allow them to turn every meal into a sumptuous occasion.
About the Author . . .
Susan Herrmann Loomis is an award-winning journalist, author, professionally trained chef, and proprietor of a cooking school, On Rue Tatin. She is the author of twelve books, including French Farmhouse Cookbook and her memoir, On Rue Tatin: Living and Cooking in a French Town, which was named the IACP’s Best Literary Food Book in 2002. She lives with her two children in Louviers, where she moved nearly twenty years ago.
To my delight, I discovered at the outset of the book I must actually be French: First, I love food. (Chapter 1: Loving Food begins, "The French love of food is primordial.") Second, I owe the vast majority of my kitchen and cooking knowledge to my grandmother. (Chapter 2: It All begins With Mamie.) [Never mind that my family tree stretches back to England and Germany and that I was raised in the tradition of Midwestern farmhouse cooking; I am now considering it a high probability that my ancestors somehow stumbled into these areas from regions of France!]
Despite Julia Child's best efforts, I believe that most American cooks still see French cooking as the most complex/difficult form of food/technique to master. Loomis' book is a reassurance that any one of us, with whatever we have on hand at this very moment for equipment, can likely whip up a meal on par with what is being served in a typical French home on any given day. If I was skeptical that any book could answer the question as to how the French cook can put "a multicourse meal on the table at least once every day, and usually more often than that, and still manage to look great, act normal, and do everything else that needs to be done, from working to raising kids, to taking care of the dog," all I needed was the reminder that they are just like me, simply being intentional and mindful about everything to do with food.
Loomis describes most of the French home kitchens as being on the small side. That means that the cooks are organized. They know what utensils and equipment they need and they know where each item is kept. I so appreciated her chapter on this and have been inspired to get my own kitchen in better order. (Goodwill is going to be getting some great items I rarely or never use!)
The rest of the book is devoted to chapters on courses typical to French meals: salad, cheese, dessert. She includes a chapter on bread (it's French cooking after all, who wouldn't include baguettes and croissants?) as well as using leftovers (the French are not wasteful). If you love breakfast, rest assured that the French do as well. (It's the basis for Chapter 8.) In Chapter 10 readers get the inside scoop on indispensable techniques used in every French kitchen. I was so inspired, I made my own mayonnaise!
The recipes included in the book come with delightful introductions and plenty of detailed instruction to walk you through to a successful completion of the dish. As with any new recipe, simply be sure to read it through once or twice before embarking on the actual preparation. At the end of the book Loomis offers ways to put together varies recipes from throughout the book into complete, successful French meals. Voila! C'est fini! Vous l'avait fait! (Voila! It's finished! You did it!)
If you are interested in all things French, in cooking, or in learning new ideas, techniques and recipes, you are definitely going to want a copy of In a French Kitchen!
I would like to thank Gotham Books for the Advanced Reader Copy of book I received in exchange for this review.
From the Publisher . . .
A delightful celebration of French life and the cooks who turn even the simplest meals into an occasion
Even before Susan Herrmann Loomis wrote her now-classic memoir, On Rue Tatin, American readers have been compelled by books about the French’s ease with cooking. With In a French Kitchen, Loomis—an expat who long ago traded her American grocery store for a bustling French farmer’s market—demystifies in lively prose the seemingly effortless je ne sais quoi behind a simple French meal.
One by one, readers are invited to meet the busy people of Louviers and surrounding villages and towns of Loomis’s adopted home, from runway-chic Edith, who has zero passion for cooking—but a love of food that inspires her to whip up an array of mouthwatering dishes—to Nathalie, who becomes misty-eyed as she talks about her mother’s Breton cooking, then goes on to reproduce it. Through friends and neighbors like these, Loomis learns that delicious, even decadent meals don’t have to be complicated.
Are French cooks better organized when planning and shopping? Do they have a greater ability to improvise with whatever they have on hand when unexpected guests arrive? The answer to both is: Yes. But they also have an innate understanding of food and cooking, are instinctively knowledgeable about seasonal produce, and understand what combination of simple ingredients will bring out the best of their gardens or local markets.
Thankfully for American readers, In a French Kitchen shares the everyday French tips, secrets, and eighty-five recipes that allow them to turn every meal into a sumptuous occasion.
About the Author . . .
Susan Herrmann Loomis is an award-winning journalist, author, professionally trained chef, and proprietor of a cooking school, On Rue Tatin. She is the author of twelve books, including French Farmhouse Cookbook and her memoir, On Rue Tatin: Living and Cooking in a French Town, which was named the IACP’s Best Literary Food Book in 2002. She lives with her two children in Louviers, where she moved nearly twenty years ago.
November 24, 2015
What is the secret of a well-planned French meal with a distinct beginning middle and end and appropriately paired wines? In the fascinating book In a French Kitchen by Susan Loomis, all is revealed.
Its part cookbook (85 recipes), part methods and secrets, part story, part peeking into freezers and cupboards and part shopping list. At the end of the book you will have become part of a new extended family. Toss in traditions, opinions and tips and you have one of the best books written on French cuisine in a very long time.
With style and a bit of sass, you’ll be engaged and involved in what makes French food so good. On page nine, the author asks, “What is the secret of making an excellent pot-au-feu?” Her answer may surprise (and delight you). “A shopping-and cooking husband.” Of course! I wonder how I missed that for so many years.
Further along in the book, the question of how the French meal is always so pleasant comes up. The answer? “Because there is a cadre, or framework to the meal, which means everyone has a clearly defined role.” You can read the book to find out what those roles are and why they work in unison so well.
Ever wonder what the perfect French cheese tray showcases? Two of them – a soft goat cheese and a blue cheese won’t surprise you, but the other three may raise an eyebrow or two. Did you know that the enzymes in cheese can actually help with digestion? Why do you think the French eat cheese at the end of the meal? According to the author, “Cheese is the embodiment of luxury and well-being …like a wrapped gift under the Christmas tree, cheese is the surprise, served as a final delight to a wonderful moment.” What a great sentiment.
Thanks to French law, there must be one boulangerie open in each neighborhood. Best rule ever, I think. Where there is a boulangerie, there is French bread. In this book, the whole of Chapter 9 is dedicated to the delights of French bread. Whether you are a “crumb” or a “crust” connoisseur, this chapter is going to rock your world. Do you know the difference between baguettes de tradition and an ordinary baguette? Why can’t you “sauce” or dip your bread? Why do some French cooks bless a fresh loaf of bread with the sign of the cross before slicing it? Why is it a sign of disrespect in Pays Basque to set a loaf on its back once out of the oven? Read this chapter and you may just be the next winner of culinary trivia.
My favorite recipes include: Apple and Pear Chicken, Blue Cheese Quiche, Bordeaux Strawberries, Hot Chocolate and Rhubarb and Ginger Tart. This is the perfect book to give as a present. Tie it to a basket brimming with French ingredients, a loaf of French bread, some meal suggestions and a couple of fun French utensils. I am pretty sure anyone who takes my advice will be asked back again and again.
MELON SALAD WITH SHALLOT VINAIGRETTE
SALADE DE MELON A LA VINAIGRETTE AUX ECHALOTES
http://www.examiner.com/review/spice-...
Its part cookbook (85 recipes), part methods and secrets, part story, part peeking into freezers and cupboards and part shopping list. At the end of the book you will have become part of a new extended family. Toss in traditions, opinions and tips and you have one of the best books written on French cuisine in a very long time.
With style and a bit of sass, you’ll be engaged and involved in what makes French food so good. On page nine, the author asks, “What is the secret of making an excellent pot-au-feu?” Her answer may surprise (and delight you). “A shopping-and cooking husband.” Of course! I wonder how I missed that for so many years.
Further along in the book, the question of how the French meal is always so pleasant comes up. The answer? “Because there is a cadre, or framework to the meal, which means everyone has a clearly defined role.” You can read the book to find out what those roles are and why they work in unison so well.
Ever wonder what the perfect French cheese tray showcases? Two of them – a soft goat cheese and a blue cheese won’t surprise you, but the other three may raise an eyebrow or two. Did you know that the enzymes in cheese can actually help with digestion? Why do you think the French eat cheese at the end of the meal? According to the author, “Cheese is the embodiment of luxury and well-being …like a wrapped gift under the Christmas tree, cheese is the surprise, served as a final delight to a wonderful moment.” What a great sentiment.
Thanks to French law, there must be one boulangerie open in each neighborhood. Best rule ever, I think. Where there is a boulangerie, there is French bread. In this book, the whole of Chapter 9 is dedicated to the delights of French bread. Whether you are a “crumb” or a “crust” connoisseur, this chapter is going to rock your world. Do you know the difference between baguettes de tradition and an ordinary baguette? Why can’t you “sauce” or dip your bread? Why do some French cooks bless a fresh loaf of bread with the sign of the cross before slicing it? Why is it a sign of disrespect in Pays Basque to set a loaf on its back once out of the oven? Read this chapter and you may just be the next winner of culinary trivia.
My favorite recipes include: Apple and Pear Chicken, Blue Cheese Quiche, Bordeaux Strawberries, Hot Chocolate and Rhubarb and Ginger Tart. This is the perfect book to give as a present. Tie it to a basket brimming with French ingredients, a loaf of French bread, some meal suggestions and a couple of fun French utensils. I am pretty sure anyone who takes my advice will be asked back again and again.
MELON SALAD WITH SHALLOT VINAIGRETTE
SALADE DE MELON A LA VINAIGRETTE AUX ECHALOTES
http://www.examiner.com/review/spice-...
June 19, 2015
Many years ago I read Susan’s memoirs On Rue Tatin: The Simple Pleasures of Life in a Small French Town and Tarte Tatin: More of La Belle Vie on Rue Tatin about how she found herself buying a derelict convent in the grounds of the church in the Normandy town of Louviers and how she turned it into a beautiful family home and business too. This latest book, In A French Kitchen is a cookbook with 85 recipes, but it is a narrated journey too. Susan takes us from one French kitchen to another via her recollections and recipes (as well as those of her French friends), learning the French way as we go and covering everything from breakfasts, French breads, salads, main dishes, cheese, desserts and more. It was quite exciting to step back into her kitchen and read more about her home cooking experiences in France. Quite early on in the book she walks us around her French kitchen, which was described so beautifully I could visualise it all, and have to admit was rather jealous.
I am probably not the target market for this book as I live and cook regularly in France, but even I learned a lot as I read it; small nuggets of information that I’ll take with me to enhance my vinaigrettes, enliven my salads and balance my cheese board, among other things. Reading this book made me realise that I'm guilty of getting stuck in my favourite flavours and dishes, but Susan has given me lots of new ideas to try and thankfully most of them are simple ones that aren't going to leave me flustered or frustrated. The recipes seemed easy to follow and were clearly explained, with measurements in metric and cups, and the cake I tried (Madame Korn’s Quick Lemon Cake) was delicious. I loved the emphasis on seasonality and the month-by-month meal planning section will be something I dip into regularly for ideas and inspiration.
I also loved that an American has taught me that it is likely that Cheddar cheese was born when French stonemasons from the Auvergne (where the delicious and very Cheddary Cantal originates from) settled in Somerset after working in Scotland and began to make cheese. This was certainly news to me but as I fell upon Cantal when I first arrived in France as a Cheddar substitute, I can certainly believe it.
This book would be perfect for anyone who has an interest in the French way with food and who enjoys cooking great tasting, real, home meals.
I am probably not the target market for this book as I live and cook regularly in France, but even I learned a lot as I read it; small nuggets of information that I’ll take with me to enhance my vinaigrettes, enliven my salads and balance my cheese board, among other things. Reading this book made me realise that I'm guilty of getting stuck in my favourite flavours and dishes, but Susan has given me lots of new ideas to try and thankfully most of them are simple ones that aren't going to leave me flustered or frustrated. The recipes seemed easy to follow and were clearly explained, with measurements in metric and cups, and the cake I tried (Madame Korn’s Quick Lemon Cake) was delicious. I loved the emphasis on seasonality and the month-by-month meal planning section will be something I dip into regularly for ideas and inspiration.
I also loved that an American has taught me that it is likely that Cheddar cheese was born when French stonemasons from the Auvergne (where the delicious and very Cheddary Cantal originates from) settled in Somerset after working in Scotland and began to make cheese. This was certainly news to me but as I fell upon Cantal when I first arrived in France as a Cheddar substitute, I can certainly believe it.
This book would be perfect for anyone who has an interest in the French way with food and who enjoys cooking great tasting, real, home meals.
June 5, 2017
Loved this book, so many tips on just whipping up wonderful meals with fresh ingredients and a few staples. I so wish we had the markets and small, specialized shops that they do in France. Supermarkets may be convenient but God only knows how long it takes to get things on the shelves. I also wish I had had a French "mamie" to teach me the age old methods of cooking and using up everything. I will keep reading this book occasionally and hope that some of the intuitive cooking takes residence in my soul.
June 26, 2015
A well written memoir that describes the tales and traditions of her grandmother (Mamie) and the author (Susan Herrmann),two great generations. This lovely book describes the wonderful French recipes that she learned living in south of France. All begin when she moved to France thirty years ago, traded her American cuisine to the highly elegant French cuisine. She became familiar and loved cooking with the spices and the exquisite aromas in her kitchen.
June 1, 2015
Banal. I had high hopes for reading this but it was dull without enough recipes to make it worthwhile and none of the color pictures we love in cookbooks. Her earlier book was better, this one felt like a money grab.
January 14, 2016
Absolutely delectable-- such a pleasurable read. I love good memoir-type books with excellent recipes and this is one of the best I've read.
August 8, 2017
One of my favorite foodie reads of late. Quite a few recipes lined up to try now, or adapt to my needs, and none of them complicated.
December 29, 2020
It took me forever to finish this for a few reasons. For one - it was a feast for the mind - at times I was transported to the French countryside, the warm, yeasty aroma of baking baguettes wafting about, diced juicy, red tomatoes marinating in olive oil and fresh herbs on a cozy kitchen table, a selection of delectable cheeses within reach, and a glass of red wine in my hand. It was the perfect escape during a crap year- and I didn't want that escape to end too soon.
However - in the same breath - it almost was too good to be true. Ms. Loomis portrays life in France in a way that one might portray their life on FaceBook - it's all perfect. Everyone is perfect. Even people with small, crappy kitchens make perfect meals and fresh, perfect ingredients are readily available 24/7. Husbands grocery shop and prepare meals. Professional moms rush home to cook a gourmet meal from ingredients she just happens to have on hand, and before sitting down to dinner, still in her business suit and heels, mind you, she reapplies her lipstick, and pours herself a glass of wine to go with the perfect meal she just prepared. Others use their personal planes to fly to remote parts of France or other countries for the day just to pick up spices and other rare foodstuffs.
So there were times that I had to put the book down to savor the moment, and times I had to put it down because I was afraid my eyes were going to get stuck in a roll - and quite frankly, I got weary with feeling like my life is inadequate - especially in the kitchen. Ms. Loomis leads a charmed life that we all would love to have - but realistic for most? I think not. It almost bordered on fantasy. Show me the haggard spouse who occasionally throws a frozen pizza in the oven. That, mes amis, is reality. Even in France. I dare Ms. Loomis to invite me to the French countryside and prove me wrong. : )
I did enjoy the variety of recipes that Ms. Loomis has gathered and created. I made Madam Korn's Quick Lemon Cake and it was delicious. Very moist and just the right tang. And I must confess, I liked this book more than I scoffed at it - because I bought it and it now sits among the French cookbooks on a shelf in the dining room, several pages marked for recipes to try in the future - in my not perfect kitchen using not-so-fresh ingredients that I picked up at Kroger in the middle of winter.
However - in the same breath - it almost was too good to be true. Ms. Loomis portrays life in France in a way that one might portray their life on FaceBook - it's all perfect. Everyone is perfect. Even people with small, crappy kitchens make perfect meals and fresh, perfect ingredients are readily available 24/7. Husbands grocery shop and prepare meals. Professional moms rush home to cook a gourmet meal from ingredients she just happens to have on hand, and before sitting down to dinner, still in her business suit and heels, mind you, she reapplies her lipstick, and pours herself a glass of wine to go with the perfect meal she just prepared. Others use their personal planes to fly to remote parts of France or other countries for the day just to pick up spices and other rare foodstuffs.
So there were times that I had to put the book down to savor the moment, and times I had to put it down because I was afraid my eyes were going to get stuck in a roll - and quite frankly, I got weary with feeling like my life is inadequate - especially in the kitchen. Ms. Loomis leads a charmed life that we all would love to have - but realistic for most? I think not. It almost bordered on fantasy. Show me the haggard spouse who occasionally throws a frozen pizza in the oven. That, mes amis, is reality. Even in France. I dare Ms. Loomis to invite me to the French countryside and prove me wrong. : )
I did enjoy the variety of recipes that Ms. Loomis has gathered and created. I made Madam Korn's Quick Lemon Cake and it was delicious. Very moist and just the right tang. And I must confess, I liked this book more than I scoffed at it - because I bought it and it now sits among the French cookbooks on a shelf in the dining room, several pages marked for recipes to try in the future - in my not perfect kitchen using not-so-fresh ingredients that I picked up at Kroger in the middle of winter.
November 11, 2019
I DNFed this book. Not my cup of tea
October 2, 2018
Geen kookboek met foto's, maar een kookboek om te lezen. Leuke verhalen hoe Fransen omgaan met eten en koken. Daarbij smakelijke, niet al te ingewikkelde recepten. 3,5 sterren.
April 29, 2018
Enjoyable read and very nice sounding recipes. I will try some of them. Really loved her book 'On Rue Tatin' and this is a nice but short follow up.
November 3, 2015
https://guninactone.wordpress.com/201...
This was a delicious read! Susan Herrmann Loomis shares what she has learned living in France for years; and not just cooking French cuisine – but eating her fair share of it as well. Loomis tells stories from her own kitchen and also those of her French friends. Basically I want to move to France now so I can shop daily in my own village from my own produce market, cheesemonger and boulangerie. Let’s be honestly, my life would be complete with my own cheesemonger. I also clearly need my own French friends to teach me to cook the way that Loomis describes and invite me to dinner.
In a French Kitchen is full of stories about learning to cook with the kitchen you have (much smaller than an American kitchen) and the delightful sounding ingredients available. How to stretch a meal for an unexpected dinner party – solved! What to serve for dessert – last minute cake! What to do with those leftovers- yummy! How to find your best bread or best cheese – now I know. This wasn’t a book to sit down and read cover to cover I’d say, but definitely one to turn to when you’re in the mood to cook or just read a chapter or two.
Each chapter is also filled with helpful tips about cookware and product selection – definitely something I can see myself going back over when I’m getting ready to cook. The attention to detail was impressive – I lost count of the number of steps Loomis went through simply to prepare a salad. Yet it really wasn’t too daunting for the untrained home cook. I really plan to try a few of these recipes – such as:
Sweet Beet and Goat Cheese Towers
Roast Apple and Pear Chicken
Mushrooms and Chorizo
And I could go on! I was going to pass my copy on but now I refuse.
Because I can’t let go of my copy of In a French Kitchen Gotham has kindly offered a copy for a giveaway. Important question to answer here- if you had to give up one thing which would it be — Chocolate or Cheese?
Giveaway to close 8/14 at midnight and I’ll pick a random number to win.
Merci!
Thank you so much Gotham for this advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
This was a delicious read! Susan Herrmann Loomis shares what she has learned living in France for years; and not just cooking French cuisine – but eating her fair share of it as well. Loomis tells stories from her own kitchen and also those of her French friends. Basically I want to move to France now so I can shop daily in my own village from my own produce market, cheesemonger and boulangerie. Let’s be honestly, my life would be complete with my own cheesemonger. I also clearly need my own French friends to teach me to cook the way that Loomis describes and invite me to dinner.
In a French Kitchen is full of stories about learning to cook with the kitchen you have (much smaller than an American kitchen) and the delightful sounding ingredients available. How to stretch a meal for an unexpected dinner party – solved! What to serve for dessert – last minute cake! What to do with those leftovers- yummy! How to find your best bread or best cheese – now I know. This wasn’t a book to sit down and read cover to cover I’d say, but definitely one to turn to when you’re in the mood to cook or just read a chapter or two.
Each chapter is also filled with helpful tips about cookware and product selection – definitely something I can see myself going back over when I’m getting ready to cook. The attention to detail was impressive – I lost count of the number of steps Loomis went through simply to prepare a salad. Yet it really wasn’t too daunting for the untrained home cook. I really plan to try a few of these recipes – such as:
Sweet Beet and Goat Cheese Towers
Roast Apple and Pear Chicken
Mushrooms and Chorizo
And I could go on! I was going to pass my copy on but now I refuse.
Because I can’t let go of my copy of In a French Kitchen Gotham has kindly offered a copy for a giveaway. Important question to answer here- if you had to give up one thing which would it be — Chocolate or Cheese?
Giveaway to close 8/14 at midnight and I’ll pick a random number to win.
Merci!
Thank you so much Gotham for this advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
May 27, 2015
REVIEW: IN A FRENCH KITCHEN:
Tales and Traditions of Everyday Home Cooking in France
This delightful book should come with a warning label affixed to the cover: Do Not Read While Hungry! If you're not already hungry, a few pages into this warm introduction to the inextricable intertwining of French food and culture, you will be, soon.
Acclaimed chef and author Susan Herrmann Loomis (ON RUE TATIN) does a lovely job of explaining the symbiosis between French family life and cooking. From chapters such as Loving Food, It All Begins with Mamie, to such gems as Intimacy Amid the Produce and Cheese, Oh, Cheese, she demystifies the French love of food and cooking for the reader, with a warm, personal voice that makes the readers feel as if they were across the kitchen table from her or working together on a tarte, or even (oui, oui!) Sauteed Beef Cheeks.
As one may well imagine, food and eating are priorities in France, unlike most places in the U.S. It is all about being prepared, having fresh ingredients, combined with an instinct from growing up in families that cooked and ate together that facilitate the French cook's knowing what to do and when to do it. Loomis makes the French seem insouciantly cheerful about the wonders that emerge from their kitchens, as well as relaxed, despite their attention to detail.
Loomis provides the reader an entertaining snapshot of day-to-day life involving food in France, even including a chapter titled A Dozen Great French Techniques and insider tips, such as the horror of saucing one's bread in a restaurant! Readers who admire Julia Child will love this book and will head out post-haste to their nearest farmer's market, butcher, boulangerie, and epicerie to purchase some of the ingredients so lovingly described in this memoir-cum-cookbook to get started on their own French creations. Bon appetit!
Tales and Traditions of Everyday Home Cooking in France
This delightful book should come with a warning label affixed to the cover: Do Not Read While Hungry! If you're not already hungry, a few pages into this warm introduction to the inextricable intertwining of French food and culture, you will be, soon.
Acclaimed chef and author Susan Herrmann Loomis (ON RUE TATIN) does a lovely job of explaining the symbiosis between French family life and cooking. From chapters such as Loving Food, It All Begins with Mamie, to such gems as Intimacy Amid the Produce and Cheese, Oh, Cheese, she demystifies the French love of food and cooking for the reader, with a warm, personal voice that makes the readers feel as if they were across the kitchen table from her or working together on a tarte, or even (oui, oui!) Sauteed Beef Cheeks.
As one may well imagine, food and eating are priorities in France, unlike most places in the U.S. It is all about being prepared, having fresh ingredients, combined with an instinct from growing up in families that cooked and ate together that facilitate the French cook's knowing what to do and when to do it. Loomis makes the French seem insouciantly cheerful about the wonders that emerge from their kitchens, as well as relaxed, despite their attention to detail.
Loomis provides the reader an entertaining snapshot of day-to-day life involving food in France, even including a chapter titled A Dozen Great French Techniques and insider tips, such as the horror of saucing one's bread in a restaurant! Readers who admire Julia Child will love this book and will head out post-haste to their nearest farmer's market, butcher, boulangerie, and epicerie to purchase some of the ingredients so lovingly described in this memoir-cum-cookbook to get started on their own French creations. Bon appetit!
March 17, 2016
When I was a little girl, my mother would send me to the bakery to buy two loaves of bread. She learned that when she had me buy one loaf, I would have eaten at least half of it by the time I got home. Susan Herrmann Loomis reminded me of that when she wrote about bread in her chatty new cookbook, IN A FRENCH KITCHEN.
Using examples from her friends and neighbors, she answers the question: “How does a French cook put a multicourse meal on the table at least once every other day...and still manage to look great, act normal, and do everything else that needs to be done, from working, to raising kids, to taking care of the dog?” The French cook is organized, uses most fresh food purchased several times a week, uses every part, usually incorporating leftovers into a new dish.
The commentary includes tidbits such as “Dessert_–which comes from the word desservir, to clear–was in fact a signal to move to an anteroom and enjoy a selection of sweets....”
Interspersed with the commentary and recipes are lists of necessary kitchen tools, staples, types of bread, cheeses, techniques, suggestions for each month of an entire year, and sources for ingredients..
She writes that the quality of bread declined during World War II. Flour mills researched recipes to use more high-quality flour in the 1980s. Today, bakers sign a contract and in return get recipes with a specific flour blend to create it.
The 85 recipes are precise and reader-friendly. Many include a wine suggestion. While I can’t try many of the recipes because of diet restrictions, there are a lot I am looking forward to making. But merely reading the commentary and the recipes was enjoyable.
I received an advance uncorrected proof of this book from LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
Using examples from her friends and neighbors, she answers the question: “How does a French cook put a multicourse meal on the table at least once every other day...and still manage to look great, act normal, and do everything else that needs to be done, from working, to raising kids, to taking care of the dog?” The French cook is organized, uses most fresh food purchased several times a week, uses every part, usually incorporating leftovers into a new dish.
The commentary includes tidbits such as “Dessert_–which comes from the word desservir, to clear–was in fact a signal to move to an anteroom and enjoy a selection of sweets....”
Interspersed with the commentary and recipes are lists of necessary kitchen tools, staples, types of bread, cheeses, techniques, suggestions for each month of an entire year, and sources for ingredients..
She writes that the quality of bread declined during World War II. Flour mills researched recipes to use more high-quality flour in the 1980s. Today, bakers sign a contract and in return get recipes with a specific flour blend to create it.
The 85 recipes are precise and reader-friendly. Many include a wine suggestion. While I can’t try many of the recipes because of diet restrictions, there are a lot I am looking forward to making. But merely reading the commentary and the recipes was enjoyable.
I received an advance uncorrected proof of this book from LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
August 5, 2016
2.5 stars. The writing style was a little too enthusiastic in style for my taste. It was a like a blog where every other sentence has an exclamation.
I worked and cooked for my family, now they are grown still cook for myself. Planning menus, being organized, having a pantry, shopping regularly, knowing basic skills along with love of preparing and eating food are not unique to the French though perhaps it is more common there. Where I live there is a wide variety of fresh foods to choose from and with skills you can eat well on a modest budget.
I do know that in the US there is a wide range of skills and habits, that many people have been raised not knowing how to cook and many do. Many people thus rely on fast food, prepared foods and take out. Corporate food markets speed, convenience, emphasizes difficulty and portrays food preparation as an onerous chore. Such food often ends up being expensive per portion and not all that healthy.
I've never been to France so I have no direct experience of how this book reflects the general population in other parts of the country than where the author is.
There were some interesting ideas and procedures. Some I know and use, there were a few I might try. A number of the recipes were too rich for how I like to eat so would only consider them for special occasions.
Though she described how a number of people approached cooking and meals overall, I got less of a sense of the French than what the author thought and did.
Though the recipes are straightforward and hints good,I don't see this book appealing widely to people who are beginners in cooking because the tone feels somewhat exclusive.
I worked and cooked for my family, now they are grown still cook for myself. Planning menus, being organized, having a pantry, shopping regularly, knowing basic skills along with love of preparing and eating food are not unique to the French though perhaps it is more common there. Where I live there is a wide variety of fresh foods to choose from and with skills you can eat well on a modest budget.
I do know that in the US there is a wide range of skills and habits, that many people have been raised not knowing how to cook and many do. Many people thus rely on fast food, prepared foods and take out. Corporate food markets speed, convenience, emphasizes difficulty and portrays food preparation as an onerous chore. Such food often ends up being expensive per portion and not all that healthy.
I've never been to France so I have no direct experience of how this book reflects the general population in other parts of the country than where the author is.
There were some interesting ideas and procedures. Some I know and use, there were a few I might try. A number of the recipes were too rich for how I like to eat so would only consider them for special occasions.
Though she described how a number of people approached cooking and meals overall, I got less of a sense of the French than what the author thought and did.
Though the recipes are straightforward and hints good,I don't see this book appealing widely to people who are beginners in cooking because the tone feels somewhat exclusive.
July 23, 2015
Enjoyable look about French traditions in the kitchen and about food I had waited forever for this book to come through my library queue, and I was happy to see it was mostly worth the wait.. Author Loomis takes the reader though various aspects of food in France: breakfast, cheese, dessert, as well as the kitchen itself: where food comes from, how many French people learn to love food/how to cook, etc.
It's a romantic view where we read a bit about how meals go, how they are cooked, where the French get their food, etc. There are plenty of recipes, plus suggestions on how to make dishes, ingredients, etc. It's not really a cookbook and there are no pictures (I am surprised by the number of people complaining about this--nothing on the cover says it's a cookbook). It's really part memoir, part cookbook, part "how to", etc.
There really isn't much more to say. It's a bit formulaic (she shares various anecdotes about friends and people she knows) then provides several recipes at the end of each chapter. There's an index at the end for where to find ingredients as well recipes for each month.
This would probably make a good gift for a foodie or Francophile, but it is NOT a cookbook, so if someone thinks that it is, well...it's not. I enjoyed it after a series of really not very good books. Library if you're not sure or are just curious, but it's probably not a bad purchase for those who are really interested in either the topic or to complete their set of books by Loomin.
It's a romantic view where we read a bit about how meals go, how they are cooked, where the French get their food, etc. There are plenty of recipes, plus suggestions on how to make dishes, ingredients, etc. It's not really a cookbook and there are no pictures (I am surprised by the number of people complaining about this--nothing on the cover says it's a cookbook). It's really part memoir, part cookbook, part "how to", etc.
There really isn't much more to say. It's a bit formulaic (she shares various anecdotes about friends and people she knows) then provides several recipes at the end of each chapter. There's an index at the end for where to find ingredients as well recipes for each month.
This would probably make a good gift for a foodie or Francophile, but it is NOT a cookbook, so if someone thinks that it is, well...it's not. I enjoyed it after a series of really not very good books. Library if you're not sure or are just curious, but it's probably not a bad purchase for those who are really interested in either the topic or to complete their set of books by Loomin.
January 11, 2016
This was my second attempt at audiobooks. I've been wanting to read more and thought being read to might help me sneak in a few more pages than usual. My first attempt did not go over well, so I thought I would try something more biographical in nature. I had never heard of the book before but it popped up as a recommendation on my library's app, so here we are.
I thought the book was "okay". It's possible I may have liked it better if I was reading it on paper, as it included many recipes and recipes out loud are not very interesting to me (I may check out a paper copy of the book to see some of the recipes, some of them sounded good). Mostly the book covers the author's observations about cooking as an immigrant to France from the United States, she makes comparisons between the two cultures using people she's met while living in France as examples. There are parts where it became a little mundane, like listing the items each person keeps in their pantry…
If you are someone fascinated by French cooking and culture, this is probably a great book for you. Me? Not so much. But despite my lack of interest in the topic, I did find the book to be inspirational. Sometimes I avoid cooking because in my mind it becomes a big production, this book really pointed out that sticking to fresh, simple recipes, is really what makes daily cooking feasible and that my own background includes these types of recipes.
I thought the book was "okay". It's possible I may have liked it better if I was reading it on paper, as it included many recipes and recipes out loud are not very interesting to me (I may check out a paper copy of the book to see some of the recipes, some of them sounded good). Mostly the book covers the author's observations about cooking as an immigrant to France from the United States, she makes comparisons between the two cultures using people she's met while living in France as examples. There are parts where it became a little mundane, like listing the items each person keeps in their pantry…
If you are someone fascinated by French cooking and culture, this is probably a great book for you. Me? Not so much. But despite my lack of interest in the topic, I did find the book to be inspirational. Sometimes I avoid cooking because in my mind it becomes a big production, this book really pointed out that sticking to fresh, simple recipes, is really what makes daily cooking feasible and that my own background includes these types of recipes.
April 13, 2018
Checked this out on a whim from our library's "spotlight" books of the month. I didn't think I'd enjoy it as much as I did, but it struck a nice balance between being informative and chatty. The recipes were clear and concise (and look pretty simple, really), and the tips section had some good information about basics without being patronizing or preachy. There were no photos in the e-book format, but I'm fine with that.
Part memoir about French food (shopping for, cooking, and eating it) and part cookbook, this made for an enjoyable "pick up/put down" to break up some other reading. The author almost lost me early on when she started describing her custom kitchen in tones that started sounding like pure braggadocio, but I stuck with it to get to her point...which is that most French homes do no have custom kitchens the size of a small house replete with copper pan sets and professional stoves and yet cooks manage to turn out wonderful meals regardless of that. (This confirms my long-held belief that a good cook can cook anywhere, but all the expensive tools in the world won't make a bad cook good.)
I've not had a chance to cook anything from this yet, but I have a dozen or so recipes bookmarked.
Unlike a lot of French cookbooks that seem heavy on sauces, offal, and complicated dishes, this collection is mostly uncomplicated foods that you can easily imagine sitting down to on a weeknight.
Part memoir about French food (shopping for, cooking, and eating it) and part cookbook, this made for an enjoyable "pick up/put down" to break up some other reading. The author almost lost me early on when she started describing her custom kitchen in tones that started sounding like pure braggadocio, but I stuck with it to get to her point...which is that most French homes do no have custom kitchens the size of a small house replete with copper pan sets and professional stoves and yet cooks manage to turn out wonderful meals regardless of that. (This confirms my long-held belief that a good cook can cook anywhere, but all the expensive tools in the world won't make a bad cook good.)
I've not had a chance to cook anything from this yet, but I have a dozen or so recipes bookmarked.
Unlike a lot of French cookbooks that seem heavy on sauces, offal, and complicated dishes, this collection is mostly uncomplicated foods that you can easily imagine sitting down to on a weeknight.
March 17, 2016
**I won this book as an ARC on Goodreads.**
I enjoyed this book for so many reasons. It is so nice to find people that actually appreciate food, from its nutritional value to its flavor. Reading this book upset me, though, because it made me realize how difficult it is for us in America to have the same fresh, amazing food as they do in France. In the city where I live, the nearest bakery is a 25 minute drive away, and even there most of their breads are made from mixes, and "baked fresh" every morning. I would love to have the array of choices that the author spoke of in this book, where going grocery shopping means stopping at a butchers shop where the butcher knows your name and takes pride in the meat he sells, walking next door to buy fresh bread you know was baked from scratch with fresh ingredients found at the bakery, buying fresh produce from people who grew it all themselves. Those types of services just aren't found in the US anymore; everything has turned into big business, run by big corporations that make "food" as cheaply as they can. It's refreshing to read about a culture that values food.
This book will make you want to become more like the French cooks, and cook meals that are fresh, and make mealtime more valuable. The recipes look delicious as well.
I enjoyed this book for so many reasons. It is so nice to find people that actually appreciate food, from its nutritional value to its flavor. Reading this book upset me, though, because it made me realize how difficult it is for us in America to have the same fresh, amazing food as they do in France. In the city where I live, the nearest bakery is a 25 minute drive away, and even there most of their breads are made from mixes, and "baked fresh" every morning. I would love to have the array of choices that the author spoke of in this book, where going grocery shopping means stopping at a butchers shop where the butcher knows your name and takes pride in the meat he sells, walking next door to buy fresh bread you know was baked from scratch with fresh ingredients found at the bakery, buying fresh produce from people who grew it all themselves. Those types of services just aren't found in the US anymore; everything has turned into big business, run by big corporations that make "food" as cheaply as they can. It's refreshing to read about a culture that values food.
This book will make you want to become more like the French cooks, and cook meals that are fresh, and make mealtime more valuable. The recipes look delicious as well.
May 17, 2015
In a French Kitchen is where I long to be, so this book is one that I will re-read. I admit that I cheated and started with the recipes in the back of the book. Of course, then I was excited to start reading and found that there are recipes all through the book! Besides the interesting story that Loomis weaves through her book, there are Lists, and Tips, and Rules, and Techniques that are valuable gems for anyone. But I know they were directed toward moi. At one point in the book, she mentions eating something and thought she had died and gone to heaven. That is the way I felt when I read the book.
This was an ARC that I won in a giveaway from Goodreads, and an uncorrected proof. So the recipes in the back of the book did not have the pages. So I wrote them in as I came across them in the book...a few I didn't find on my first go through, and a few I wrote in that I didn't see in the index. But did I mind? WOW! I loved it.
June 12, 2015
Everyone marvels at the ability of the French to prepare a wonderful meal. But just how much effort and skill is needed to accomplish that feat? Author and expat, Susan Herrmann Loomis takes the reader into the French kitchen. She introduces us to the tools most commonly found there. She shows us how easy it is to produce a simple meal with French flair.
We get snippets of information from friends and even the neighborhood butcher, all geared toward demystifying the way the French prepare a meal. Included in the book are tantalizing recipes alongside wonderful hints to help any cook adapt the French cooking philosophy
.
Grab a glass of red wine and sit at the table as Susan Herrmann Loomis tells you all about life ‘In a French Kitchen’.
We get snippets of information from friends and even the neighborhood butcher, all geared toward demystifying the way the French prepare a meal. Included in the book are tantalizing recipes alongside wonderful hints to help any cook adapt the French cooking philosophy
.
Grab a glass of red wine and sit at the table as Susan Herrmann Loomis tells you all about life ‘In a French Kitchen’.
May 29, 2016
Though there are times when we hear a bit too much about Ms. Loomis's private life, overall this is a very interesting and useful book that's much more honest and real than books by wannabe Julie Child chefs like Dorie Greenspan and Ina Gartner, both of whom live in the US but pretend to be French through dint of having Paris pied a terres. I've heard Ms. Loomis speak French, and she's the real deal, unlike the two other ladies, and this is why I bought this book. There are many wonderful real-people recipes that I make all the time from this book, which lives in my kitchen, where any good cookbook should and does.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 105 reviews